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^U- 29 19i8 

ARMY W.:H OOLLEaE / 



ADDRESS DELIVERED 



I I 

GEORGE BLAIR 

Commander Farragut Naval Post, 516, G. A. R. 
Dept. of New York 

AT THE 

SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' MONUMENT 



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Mav 30, 1918 



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Compliments of 

(George Plair 

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Mv. Cfjairman anb Comrabe«: 

HE annual exercises of the Grand Army of 
the Republic in which we have for fifty years 
paid tribute to the nation's heroes again 
reminds us of GEORGE WASHINGTON'S 
declaration that eternal vigilance is the price of I^iberty, 
Not withstanding the solemnity of the day. 

We rejoice that the Nation found a LINCOLN, 
the War President, and a Stanton, the War Secretary, 
who, while hostile to Lincoln in politics, proved a hard 
working patriot. 

We rejoice that the nation found a secretary of the 
navy who had the courage to assign Farragut to active 
duty, although born in the South, and who made good 
as the navy hero of the Civil War. 

We rejoice that among the womanhood of the loyal 
states we found a CLARA BARTON, the founder of the 
American Red Cross, whose humane work has inspired 
the nation, that has continued to this day. 

The Grand Army of the Republic has for fifty years 
kept the camp fires of Liberty burning brightly, the 
only organization of War Veterans that entered upon the 
peaceful work of maintaining the ideals for which they 
fought on the field of battle. From its ranks six Presi- 
dents of the United States have been selected. 

We rejoice that the nation gave us a GRANT, a 
SHERMAN, a SHERIDAN, a THOMAS, and many 
others. 

We rejoice that the nation gave us a FARRAGUT, 
a PORTER, a WORDEN, a CUSHING,— all leading 
OLD GLORY to victory and preserving the Union. 



We point with pride to the heroism of BARBARA 
FRITCHIE, who held out OLD GLORY while Stone- 
wall Jackson passed through Fredericksburg, Va., and 
who prevented his army from shooting her down. 

We are NOW at the threshold of another crisis in 
American history — a stupendous World War. For two 
years we hoped to convince the German Empire that we 
would insist upon our rights upon the high seas. The 
Kaiser kept on violating our rights with impunity, until 
at last the President of the United States, WOODROW 
WIIySON, was obliged to appeal to Congress for author- 
ity to prepare the country for war against the German 
Empire and by unanimous vote, war was declared. 

This is not the first time that the United States 
Government was obliged to assert its rights upon the 
high seas. Early in 1800 the Barbary and Tripoli 
Pirates compelled every nation to pay tribute to them for 
the privilege of entering the Mediterranean Sea, and all 
consented except the United States Government. When 
the subject of paying tribute was discussed, PINCKNEY 
of South Carolina declared in Congress the famous 
American slogan, "MILLIONS FOR DEFENSE, but 
NOT ONE CENT for tribute." The Government sent 
CAPT. DECATUR, of the Navy, with a fleet to the 
Mediterranean Sea, fought the Pirates, destroyed their 
power, and no nation since then has paid any tribute to 
enter the Mediterranean Sea, 

We now are assuming the responsibility of destroy- 
ing another Pirate with the full power of the people. In 
i860 our population, North was 17,000,000; the South 
13,000,000. Both raised an army of 4,000,000. To-day 
with more than 100,000,000 population, with unlimited 
resources, we can in time put an Army and Navy in 
action that cannot be beaten. 



No historic record of War Veterans has ever played 
such an important part in safeguarding the victories 
won on the field of battle and on the high seas as has 
the Grand Army of the Republic. 

We are with the President in this work of maintain- 
ing the dignity of our nation. He will find a new 
GEN. GRANT at the head of our Armies who will 
wire him, as Grant wired lyincoln after the Battle of the 
Wilderness, "that he would fight it out on this line if it 
takes all summer." He will find a FARRAGUT who 
on reaching the German base will say as Farragut said at 
Mobile Bay, "DAMN THE TORPEDOES ! GO 
AHEAD ! " And when the new Grant, whoever he may 
be, reaches to the gates of Berlin the Pirate Kaiser will 
ask terms of surrender and our General Grant will say 
as the older Grant did say, "UNCONDITIONAL 
SURRENDER ! " When peace is declared guaranteeing 
safe democracy among the civilized world, then will 
flash over the wires a repetition of that portion of Lin- 
coln's Message to Congress in March, 1865, declaring 
"MALICE TOWARD NONE, WITH CHARITY 
FOR ALL," from President Wilson. 

And now in conclusion I will quote from Lincoln's 
address at the National Cemetery at Gettysburg in 1863. 
"That from these honored dead we take increased 
devotion to the cause for which they gave the last full 
measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve that 
these dead shall not have died in vain. That this nation, 
UNDER GOD, SHALL HAVE A NEW BIRTH OF 
FREEDOM. THAT GOVERNMENT OF THE 
PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, AND FOR THE 
PEOPLE SHALL NOT PERISH FROM THE 
EARTH." 



This is the expression of the 

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 

after reading press reports sent to him. 



THE WHITE HOUSE 
WASHINGTON 



June lo, 1918 

My dear Sir: 

The President asks nie to acknowledge 
the receipt of your letter of the 6th of June, 
and to thank you for your courtesy in calling 
attention to the enclosure. He greatly appre- 
ciates your heartening assurances. 

Sincerely yours, 

[Signed] J. P. TUMULTY, 

Sec'y to the President. 

To Commander George Blair, 
G. A. R. Headquarters, 
Room I, City Hall, 
New York City. 



Editorial from N. Y. Evening Telegram, June 4, 1918. 

SPIRIT OF THE G.A.R. 



PERHAPS YOU MAY HAVE THOUGHT, SADLY, 
THE SURVIVORS OF THE GRAND ARMY OF THE 
REPUBLIC LOOKED FEW AND OLD AND FEEBLE 
WHEN IN LINE LAST THURSDAY, BUT IT IS WELL 
TO BEAR IN MIND THE SPIRIT OF THE 'OLD BOYS" 
AWAITING THE CALL TO "FAME'S ETERNAL CAMP- 
ING GROUND," IS THE SAME AS IT WAS IN '61.'65. 

SPEAKING OF THE WAR "OVER THERE," COM- 
MANDER GEORGE BLAIR, OF FARRAGUT POST, 
ADDRESSING COMRADES AT THE SAILORS' AND 
SOLDIERS' MONUMENT, SAID :— 

We know that we shall find a Grant who will 
fight it out with the unspeakable German Empire and 
fight it to a successful conclusion, even though it takes 
twenty years to do it, and we know that a Farragut 
will arise when the occasion for a Farragut comes 
Our Americans have a way of fighting to a finish, and 
that's the way they are going into this struggle, and 
when the final hour comes, our commander, whoever 
he may be, will, when the Kaiser asks our terms, re- 
spond as did Grant, "Unconditional surrender I " 

IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT COMMANDER BLAIR HAS 
SPOKEN NOT ALONE FOR FARRAGUT, BUT FOR ALL 
OTHER G.A.R. POSTS, AND FOR THE NATION. 



9. 



THE WINSTON PRESS 



